not very much insulated ... i guess we won't see them in texas or alaska

I'm not quite sure about the contempt part in this instance. The home above is located about two blocks from where I live and it is really nice. The architect is a guy from Manhattan Beach, Peter DeMaria, and I've spoken with him a few times while the house was under construction. Firstly, insulation is the same stuff that they use on the space shuttle and its better than the conventional itchy stuff, secondly the house was super affordable, I've heard numbers around $140 per square foot and that's about 60% of what the standard homes cost here in the LA area. Lastly, I think this recycling philosophy that the architect and the homeowners took to creating a new house is incredible. They even have recycled bluejeans in the walls for insulation. I'm not the only one who thinks this idea is great, the architect is building a whole bunch of these buildings here in LA. Last month I saw the project on CNN and I also read that the house received an Honor Award from the American Architect Institute. Lots to write about but sounds like a clear case of "...when you've got lemons, make lemonade..." Why doesn't GW Bush contact this guy and solve the affordable housing crisis. I liked this post, cover the architecture stuff more often.

Lightning bolts, anyone?

Seriously, I think it's a great idea, but wouldn't this thing be just one massive conductor to a lightning bolt(s)? And several of them lined up?

@tsim: seriously? how many industrial buildnings arn't built entirly out of metal? don't think that will be a problem
what i can't get is how this would be any different from any building when it comes to earthquakes

I think that the entire place is welded together and it keeps the earthquake damage to non-existent. I just checked out a video of this architect and it was really full of great container information. Here you go -
http://gliving.tv/videos/
you have to go down the page until you see his picture and the title Room 101. Select that and the video runs for about 20 minutes. I thought it answered so many questions and I think they covered earthquakes, fires, termites, etc.

and at 40ftx8ft floor area, one 40ft sea box has about the same area as a 3-berth static caravan, so just one box could provide all the space needed for a couple to live in.

As for lightning bolts, living in the box would be safe, the box would act like a faraday cage, carrying the lightning around you. Its the bodywork, not the tyres on automobiles that protect you from lightning.

Insulation:
the container on its own aint insulated, however add rockwool or similar product and they become quite cozy.

Why waste materials building houses when you can recycle containers into modular designs. ITS THE WAY TO GO!!!

I'm very interested in building myself a small home out of a shiping container. Do you know where I can buy one that is really inexpensive???